Under the Moon
by Tania-Terror
Summary: Today was Ian Gallagher's eighteenth birthday. The eighteenth year wasn't only a significant event among humans, but among werewolves as well.
1. Tradition

**Chapter 1: Tradition**

* * *

 **Notes:** For the Shamelessly Alternate prompt on tumblr: Werewolves  
tw: animal abuse, though this is the only part of the series this subject will be present in.

* * *

Today was Ian Gallagher's eighteenth birthday. The eighteenth year wasn't only a significant event among humans, but among werewolves as well. It marked the day a werewolf would no longer need a full moon to shift, and when they received their tattoos. Each werewolf had two tattoos located on their chest, over their heart. One signified what pack or family one belonged to, and the other was of the person's own choosing. In older times, these symbols were branded into the skin. Few packs still held to that tradition. Ian had never seen someone with a brand before. The thought of someone burning his flesh made Ian feel bilious. He didn't want to delay any longer thinking on that, so he eagerly shot out of bed and trotted down the stairs.

"Hey, there, birthday boy," Fiona greeted happily.

"He's not a _boy_ anymore, Fi," Lip said rising from his seat to hug his brother.

Fiona rolled her eyes. "Oh, Jesus, Lip. I don't need more of your machismo attitude."

Lip ignored his older sister and addressed Ian. "Kev and Veronica are comin over after dinner. You ready?"

"So ready," Ian confirmed.

That evening, Kevin and Veronica came over just as they were expected. They were human. Some of the only humans who knew werewolves exited. They had befriended the Gallaghers when Fiona defended the couple against two other wolves. For one of their anniversaries, Kev unknowingly made the poor choice to take Veronica on a picnic in a werewolf hotspot. They had just settled onto the red and white, plaid blanket when two wolves began encircling them. The wolves snapped their jaws at them, but before they could pounce Fiona intervened and saved the couple's lives.

Veronica brought wine; Kevin brought his tattoo gun and ink he bought online. Kev wasn't a tattoo artist, at least not professionally. It was just something he liked to dabble in, and he had done Lip's tattoos last year. It also helped that most werewolf tattoos were runes and various other symbols, or as Kev liked to describe "just a couple lines here and there."

Ian promptly removed his shirt at the kitchen table where Kev was setting up.

"You decide what you wanna get?" Kev asked.

He did. Fiona had the rune symbol of Freya and Lip basically had a less than sign. Ian presented Kevin with a piece of paper that had what looked liked the letter 'P' on it. "It's the rune symbol for Thor."

"It also means force, defense, conflict, vital eroticism…" Debbie listed from the counter where she watched with Carl.

"Debbie!" Fiona chastised.

"Well, it does."

"I can't wait to get mine," Carl said.

Once he put on some rubber gloves, Kevin started on Ian's tattoo. Ian winced as Kev drew the first line of the Gallagher family symbol.

"Does it hurt?" Carl asked.

Kev chuckled. "It's a needle scratching your skin."

The answer didn't satisfy Ian's younger brother.

"Yes, Carl," Ian provided. "It hurts."

Fortunately the two tattoos didn't take long. When they were done each of Ian's brothers and sisters took turns to inspect the marks, particularly the three younger Gallagher siblings. Liam even smiled at the images and reached a curious hand out to try to touch them. Fiona stopped Liam before he did, though. Besides the rune Ian decided on, he had a symbol resembling a wheel which meant unity.

"That's quality work right there," Kev said proudly.

"Thought you said they're just lines," Veronica pointed out.

"Babe, please. I'm clearly an artist."

"Oh, my god."

Fiona giggled at her friends. "Alright, wanna try shifting into your wolf now?"

"Absolutely," Ian replied enthusiastically.

The company exited from the back of the Gallagher house for this part of the evening. They watched in anticipation from the back porch and steps. Lip was the only one in the backyard with Ian. He would be the one to talk Ian through changing without the moon.

"Do you all really have to watch?" Ian asked.

"I knew you'd be a baby about this. We turn together all the time at the cabins," Lip groused. "Just go around behind the van."

"What kind of wierdo wouldn't be creeped out by his family and neighbors watching him strip and turn into a fucking wolf? If I remember correctly you hid behind the van last year too "

"Whatever. It's night anyway. Just… don't pay any attention to them. It'll only distract you. Close your eyes and listen to my voice."

Reluctantly, Ian concealed himself as best as he could from his family and friends and removed his clothes. He shut his eyes and took a few deep breaths.

"You good?"

"Yeah," Ian called back.

"Alright. Try not to think about anything except how you feel when you know it's gonna be a full moon," Lip began. "It feels like all day you're waiting for the moon to come up again. You can feel it _there_ \- the wolf - just begging to be free again."

Ian recalled those feelings easily. It was common for werewolves to feel a sense of unrest in their human forms, especially nearing their eighteenth birthday, but it was more than that for Ian. His human life was all about order and control, making sure no one ever found out what he was. Being a wolf was the only time Ian ever felt free. He longed for the moon and was happy he was able to change willingly now. Ian gasped suddenly and fell to his knees.

"Ian?" Lip asked alarmed from the opposite side of the van. He ran to the other side but when he reached his brother Ian was now in his wolf form. "Wow, that was fast." It had taken both Fiona and Lip at least half an hour to change.

"Is he ok?" Fiona called from the porch.

"See for yourself," Lip answered coming from behind the van with his brother.

The group gasped in amazement and made a beeline towards a wolfed out Ian. Like his hair Ian's fur was a golden orange color, similar to the sunset, and his eyes were a darker shade of green, like a pair of emerald stones.

His family and friends congratulated him cheerfully, Fiona even petted him a few times. Then Liam grasped one of Ian's ears to which Ian gave a low whine, too nice to give even a warning growl to his little brother.

"Liam!" Fiona scolded, and Liam let go of his brother's ear. She resumed petting Ian until he felt like she was mothering him again and shook his head a few times. "Alright," Fiona said, removing her hand. "You go change back."

"You know, V, it's a shame werewolfism is only hereditary," Kevin said to his wife.

"Lycanthropy," Veronica corrected. "And what the hell are you talking about?"

"I'm just sayin', wolves are pretty badass. And Debbie and Carl look so _cute_ in their wolf cub forms!" The pair of siblings rolled their eyes at Kev before he continued. "And just think how fuckin' adorable Liam's gonna be. Babe, I can't even." Liam had yet to have his first shift, which came in the tenth year.

"Kevin, growing up is hard enough as it is and you wanna add being a werewolf to the list?" Kevin and Veronica had just started trying for a baby and Kev would go on and on about how he wished either he or V were a werewolf so their child had a shot at turning out to be a wolf as well.

"She's right, Kev," Fiona concurred. "Why do you think I'm always runnin' after everyone, literally? Trust me, you guys lucked out being human - being normal people."

When Ian returned Lip embraced his younger brother. "Got a birthday surprise for you."

"What?" Fiona questioned. "What kind of birthday surprise?"

"We're gonna go out. Just gonna do some brother-wolf stuff."

"Brother-wolf stuff?"

"C'mon, Fi," Ian pleaded.

Fiona crossed her arms and sighed, still her expression softened everytime Ian got that puppy dog look in his eyes. "Alright, fine," she relented. "But be back before midnight." Along with Kev and Veronica, she guided the rest of her siblings back into the house. "Let's go, shows over." Debbie and Carl begrudgingly trudged up the steps as their older sister instructed.

When they were left alone Lip turned to his brother and smirked. "C'mon, nights not over yet."

"Where are we going?" Ian asked excitedly.

"You'll see."

* * *

Deep in the forest Mickey Milkovich made his way towards the dim glow of fire and sounds of snarling. He was being led by his father, Terry. Their destination was like the others they frequented on the weekends. They were on their way to, essentially, a werewolf fightclub - and not as spectators. Well, Terry would watch, and make bets, while Mickey was forced to partake in the fights. Terry used to make Mickey's mother fight, until she got too old and weak; and then she died. Terry's human, but even if he weren't, Mickey didn't believe for one second his dad would put his neck out there like that just to make a few extra bucks.

All four of Terry's children turned out to be werewolves, but being only half wolf came with it's drawbacks. Neither Iggy nor Colin were as quick or as strong as purebreds, Colin couldn't even make himself turn when he wanted after he reached eighteen. Mandy was the youngest, and no one knew whether or not she'd be stronger after her eighteenth birthday. Mickey, though, was special. Or maybe just lucky, or unlucky, depending on how you looked at it. His wolf was small, but what he lacked in size he made up with raw aggression and ferocity. So when his mother died, Terry went back to the fights with a new warrior.

"Mickey, move your ass," Terry yelled over his shoulder.

Mickey hated being used like this, hated it when it had been his mother too, but he didn't have a choice. If he wanted to stay alive Mickey had to fight.

In the surrounding area of the fields where the fights were held there were usually guards. They needed someone to keep a look out for humans. Sometimes they let Mickey and Terry in without a hassle, other times were more difficult.

As Mickey and Terry approached a heap of bushes, two men suddenly appeared in front of them. The one smoking a cigarette flicked his stub to the ground and crushed it under his boot. "The hell do you think you're going? You ain't one of us."

"He is," Terry said, grabbing Mickey by the back of his neck and pushing him forward.

The guard snickered. "Fuckin' mutt is what he is. He won't last one fight."

"Show 'em," Terry said to his son.

Mickey took off his tank top.

"A brand?" the second guard asked. "What, you think that makes you tough shit?"

"Why don't you let us in and you'll find out," Mickey growled.

"Whatever, you're funeral."

The first guard scoffed. "Better hope your bite's worse than your bark, _mutt_."

* * *

"What is this place?" Ian asked his brother as they both approached two rather intimidating men.

"Don't worry, you're gonna like it," Lip assured.

They were both allowed in without question; they didn't even have to show their tattoos. Werewolves could easily sniff each other out in a group.

When the brothers reached the other side of the hedge, Ian's eyes went wide in disbelief. Their was a ring of people hollering incoherently with a pair of wolves fighting at the center. One of the wolves was a little on the smaller side with jet black fur and royal blue eyes. The orange glow of fires nearby gave the atmosphere a bestial vibe. "You brought me to a werewolf fight? Why the fuck did you think I'd like this?"

"What's with you? Werewolf fights go way back, it's tradition."

"Tradition?! We shouldn't fight for the same reasons we don't brand our skin anymore. It's barbaric!"

To Ian's relief the current fight ended then. The wolves changed back and Ian made eye contact with the boy who was the black wolf. On the surface, Ian could see his anger, and when the boy's eye's flickered in the firelight Ian could see something else - fear. The boy was naked, covered in dirt from head to toe from grappling with the other wolf and smeared with blood on various parts of his body. Ian felt sad for him, so sad he could cry.

"Take me home, Lip."

Lip only nodded in response as he guided Ian away from the field. Neither said a word the whole walk back.

"You're not gonna tell Fiona, are you?" Lip finally asked when they arrived home.

"You're fucking unbelievable sometimes," Ian scoffed. "No, I won't tell Fiona."

"Hey, look, man. I'm sorry, alright? I never thought about any of this shit before."

"Which makes me wonder why everyone thinks you're the smart one."

"I mostly just bullshit everyone into thinking I'm smart."

"You think?" I said with a laugh. "Can we agree to never go back to those types of places again, together or alone? Or with anyone else?"

"Yeah," Lip answered without hesitation. He shared a beer with Ian in the kitchen to try to calm his brother down a bit more.

When Ian was at last huddled up in his bed he couldn't help but to think of the boy with dark hair and blue eyes.


	2. Hide and Seek

**Chapter 2: Hide and Seek**

* * *

 **Notes:** Second installment for the Shamelessly Alternate prompt: Werewolves

* * *

A little over a month passed and Ian still thought about the boy at the werewolf fights. He wondered if the boy was still fighting, though, Ian easily guessed the answer to that. Mostly Ian just wanted to know if the boy was even alive. Ian sighed forlornly as he sat on the back porch of the cabin. He had hoped the place would put his mind at ease.

The cabins were a luxury for the Gallaghers, but Fiona always made sure to save up enough money every month so the family could spend time together during a full moon; Liam would stay with Kev and V. Lip and Ian helped with the cost as much as they could, but they'd never be able to have enough without Fiona working tirelessly for her family.

It was mid afternoon and Lip was in his wolf form playfully chasing after Debbie and Carl. His wolf had sandy colored fur and icy blue eyes. Fiona's was dark grey with golden brown eyes, Debbie's was a lighter orange than Ian's with lighter green eyes, and Carl's was light grey with dark brown eyes. Ian didn't think they looked all that much alike, which he found humorous. He sighed again as Fiona came to sit next to him on the couch in the back porch.

"You been doin' that all day," Fiona remarked. "What's goin' on?"

"Nothing."

"C'mon, don't you wanna turn into your wolf? Have fun, maybe?"

Ian chuckled but shrugged his shoulders.

"Alright, you've been mopin' around enough," Fiona said as she rose from her seat and went down the wooden steps to address her family. "Hey, time for a game. And oldie, but a goodie."

"What game's that?" Carl asked.

"Hide and seek."

"Oh, my god, Fiona," Debbie griped with a roll of her eyes. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously, and Ian's It."

"What? He's second fastest to you."

"Then I guess we better start runnin'," Fiona said as she dashed off into the nearby woods. Her three siblings scattered off into various directions while Ian was left standing on the porch shaking his head. They were gone before he could get a single word of protest out. Ian shook out of his clothes and changed into his wolf form to track down his brothers and sisters.

Soon, Ian was coming up on Lip's scent but was distracted by another smell. It was the smell of barbecue sauce. He followed the smell until he found it's source - the black wolf from the fight. The wolf was gnawing at some baby back ribs as he lied next to a large oak tree. When Ian stepped out of the bushes the wolf immediately snapped his head in Ian's direction and began growling at him.

Ian slowed down and hung his head low, assuring the wolf he meant no harm. He lied down on the ground and crawled on his stomach the rest of the way. By the time Ian reached him, the wolf had stopped growling but still watched with caution. Ian gave a low whine and raised a paw at the other wolf's snout. The wolf cocked his head to the side and whined back before giving a yelp and rose from the ground to change back into his human form.

"What are you doing?" he asked, laughing at Ian.

Ian was surprised the other boy so comfortably walked around naked in front of him. He looked around for some cover and jogged behind a shrub to change back. Ian noticed the boy's smile dimmed a bit when he did. "Hey."

"Hey," the boy said after a beat.

"I remember you from the fight," Ian said. "Do you remember me?"

The boy only nodded but it was enough to significantly brighten Ian's mood.

"I'm Ian Gallagher."

"Mickey… Milkovich"

Ian noticed Mickey had a brand on his chest, but he didn't say anything. Instead, his eyes raked over every inch of Mickey's body, and may have lingered a bit at what Mickey had between his legs. At the fight Ian wasn't close enough to see how pale Mickey's skin was. If not for the various scars he had, his skin would resemble that of a porcelain doll. When Ian caught sight of Mickey's knuckle tattoos he smirked, and returned to stare at a part of Mickey's body that quickly became of interest to Ian.

"What were you doing?" Mickey repeated, if only to get Ian to look anywhere else besides his dick. Ian wasn't very subtle.

"Oh," Ian said, snapping out of his trance. "I was asking if you wanted to play."

The answer had Mickey bursting into laughter again. "Play?"

"Shut up, you know what I mean."

"I was kinda busy, Gallagher."

"Yeah, where'd you get those anyway?" Ian asked. "Do you normally bring barbecued ribs up here?"

"Took 'em from some family down by the lake." That only made Ian grin wider. "What are you doing here?"

"Came with my brothers and sisters for the full moon. You?"

"I live around here. The woods are practically my backyard."

"Must be nice," Ian said, to which Mickey only shrugged. A silence stretched on between them until Mickey felt himself becoming self-conscious under Ian's unwavering gaze.

"Uh, shouldn't you be getting back to your family, or something?"

"Right… um, I'll see you around?" Ian could swear the smirk Mickey gave him then had a hint of flirtation.

"Maybe," is all Mickey said before shifting back into his wolf and returning to his ribs. Ian reciprocated the smile and went off in search of his siblings again.

* * *

Another week passed before Ian could no longer keep himself from going back to the cabins, hoping he could find Mickey. Ian found the spot by the oak tree and began his search from there. He trailed Mickey's scent to the lake Mickey had talked about before. Mickey sat naked at the dock with his feet dangling over the edge and smoking a cigarette. Before Ian could get too close, Mickey caught sight of him when he turned to see what was coming up behind him.

"You again?" Mickey asked, flicking away his cigarette.

Ian lied down and crawled over to Mickey like he had earlier that week. When he inched up beside Mickey he dared to rest his head next to Mickey's thigh. Mickey raised an eyebrow suspiciously but started petting Ian behind his ears nonetheless. When Ian grew tired of that, which didn't take long, he stated whining again.

"Jesus, alright," Mickey said with a roll of his eyes. He stood up and turned into his wolf. After a pause Mickey sprinted towards the trees. Ian was quickly at his heels.

Following that night Ian and Mickey regularly met up at the cabins or in the woods. Sometimes one would find the other, or they'd find each other. Sometimes one of them would bring a case of beer and they would drink in companionable silence, stealing glances at each other when they thought the other wasn't looking. Sometimes Mickey brought ribs. He wasn't fond of sharing, even though the reason he stole them in the first place was so Ian could ask him to.

On this particular night, Ian and Mickey had abandoned one of their undeclared races in order to pursue a sneaky squirrel. For about the forth time they had lost their target and were aimlessly wandering a clearing when they heard a gunshot not far off in the distance. The wolves exchanged a look of worry before they bolted into the forest. When they deemed it safe again they slowed down. Ian had thought they were out of harm's way and he didn't notice the bear's trap he was about to step in. Before he could set his paw down, Mickey tackled him away from the metal jaws, only to get nicked by the contraption himself. Mickey yelped in pain, though he was lucky to escape with only a cut. Ian tried to keep Mickey from walking but Mickey wouldn't listen and appeared to be leading Ian somewhere.

Mickey ended up limping to the oak tree where they had first met. It seemed to be Mickey's favorite part of the woods. He curled up under the shadow of the tall tree and licked at his paw. Ian wanted to comfort his friend and began slowly trotting towards him. But like their first encounter, Mickey looked up at Ian sharply and growled. Not for the first time now, Ian reclined to the ground on his stomach and scooted towards Mickey. Gingerly he nosed at Mickey's paw and began licking the wound. Mickey whined in protest at first but gave up when he realized Ian wouldn't. He rested his head on his other paw and let Ian continue whatever it was Ian thought he was doing. When Ian finished he nosed and licked behind Mickey's ear a few times before placing his head on top of his, and both shut their eyes to let sleep take them.

When Mickey woke up both he and Ian had somehow changed back into their human forms, which made the current situation more than a little awkward seeing as they were naked with their limbs tangled together. Mickey tried his best to disengage himself from Ian's grasp but at the first sign of movement Ian's eyes blinked open.

"Mornin'," Ian greeted with a lopsided smile as he stretched out beside Mickey.

Mickey didn't know what to say and averted his gaze so Ian wouldn't see how red his face must have been. Without saying anything more Ian eased Mickey onto his back to hover over him. Mickey stilled and tried to keep his breath as even as possible. Ian's smile turned into a sly smirk and raised an eyebrow, challenging Mickey even further. Mickey's heart pounded loudly against his chest and he wondered if Ian could hear it. As he worried his bottom lip Mickey decided to go for it. He reached for the back of Ian's neck and brought him down into long overdue kiss.

Ian moaned contently into Mickey's mouth as he nudged Mickey's legs apart to press their hardening erections together. They both gasped when he did, and Ian moved his mouth to lick and suck behind Mickey's ear. Mickey stuttered a laugh, clearly the back of his ear was going to be one of Ian's favorite spots to nibble at. Before long Ian coated two of his fingers with his spit and began opening Mickey up with them. He felt a nudge on his lower back from one of Mickey's feet, signaling that Mickey was ready. Ian did his best to slick himself up with spit again and steadily eased himself into Mickey's welcoming heat.

A ragged moan tore itself from Mickey's lips, nearly making Ian come on the spot. Ian stilled his hips momentarily before he began moving. The noises escaping from Mickey were almost sinful, and Ian had to cover Mickey's mouth with his own again or else he wouldn't last long. As they went on rocking against each other Mickey hugged Ian's waist with his legs. Ian got the message and propped himself up with one hand beside Mickey as the other found his leaking cock and started pumping Mickey to his relief. Mickey's blunt nails dug into Ian's sides as he came in hot pulses. Ian soon followed, groaning through out his own release before slumping down on top of Mickey.

"You're heavy," Mickey said at length.

"Sorry, " Ian apologized, slowly pulling out of Mickey and collapsed on his back next to him. "Probably should have asked before but-"

"I got all my shots if that's what you're worried about," Mickey interrupted, to which Ian laughed in amusement. "You?"

"Yeah, I'm clean. We're good." Mickey stayed silent, which alarmed Ian slightly. "We are good, right?"

"Yeah," Mickey assured, smirking at Ian. "Wanna come back here tonight?"

Ian laughed again. "Is that even a real question?"


	3. Enamored

**Chapter 3: Enamored**

* * *

"You've been going back to the fights?" Ian asked one evening as he and Mickey lied post coital on a small patch of grass. The laceration on Mickey's hand from the bear trap had healed, only to be replaced and outnumbered by deep scratches and bite marks. And Ian did know Mickey had been going back to the fights, since Mickey has had to cancel on a few of their nightly outings recently, but this was a conversation Ian had been putting off for some time. Still, he treaded lightly.

"You know I have to," Mickey answered. They hadn't talked about this yet, but Mickey was pretty sure Ian was aware the situation was out of Mickey's hands. Mickey felt Ian gently stroke a cut he had above his right eyebrow before Ian pressed a soft kiss to it. Gallagher always did sweet shit like that. That delicate fucker - literally. Even when Ian fucked him so hard his eyes rolled in the back of his head it's only after Mickey specifically requested it. He may be testy and push Mickey from time to time, but ultimately Ian would let Mickey have more control.

"I know," Ian replied. "Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"I'm sorry," Mickey murmured, though he's not sure why.

"I'm not asking for an apology, Mickey. Shit, you have nothing to be sorry for. I'm just… letting you know I care."

"Thanks," Mickey said, smiling ever so slightly.

Ian started trailing a hand over Mickey's brand. It was the rune symbol for power, which Ian guessed made sense. Mickey was a lot stronger than any half-wolf Ian had ever met, as strong as a purebred even. "Why do you only have one, uh, mark? One brand?" Ian asked, deciding to change the subject. "Why do you have a brand at all?"

"Terry made us get them."

"But he's human."

"Yeah, that's kind of a contradiction," Mickey remarked before he continued. "He thought purebreds wouldn't give us such a hard time if we had them. My mom tried to talk him out of it, but…"

"I _am_ surprised they let you into the fights," Ian said, which made Mickey raise an eyebrow in question. "Uh, not that _I_ have a problem with you being half wolf. You know I don't. I mean, I literally had my dick inside you just a few minutes ago."

Mickey chuckled as Ian fumbled over his words. "Anyway, my mom's pack was a bit old school. They _did_ have a thing against mutts, or whatever." Ian fixed him with a look at the derogatory term, but Mickey rolled his eyes and went on. "Still, my mom, for whatever reason, wanted Terry. I guess he wasn't always such a prick, not the I or my brothers and sister ever got to know that side of him. My mom was exiled from her pack, so we weren't allowed to receive their mark, and then Terry made us get brands."

"Mandy hasn't turned eighteen yet, has she?"

"No." Mickey knew what Ian was implying. It's a thought that had been occupying Mickey's thoughts more frequently. If Terry decided to brand Mandy, Mickey didn't know what he'd do, or how he'd react. "She turns eighteen on the next full moon."

Ian nodded. After a short silence he asked, "Wanna go again?"

Mickey didn't answer, and instead straddled Ian's waist in response.

* * *

"You smell like him, you know?" Mandy pointed out as she appeared in the doorway of Mickey's room when he returned from the woods.

"Jesus," Mickey replied, startled. "Smell like who?"

"The wolf you've been fucking. You're lucky Terry's not a werewolf. He'd beat the shit outta you first whiff he caught."

"The fuck are you talkin' about?"

"There's no point denying it, Mick. I can smell his scent all over you," Mandy replied as she tapped her nose with her forefinger. She joined her brother on his bed and they sat cross-legged facing each other as she waited for Mickey's response.

"Do Iggy and Colin know?" Mickey asked, avoiding his sister's stare.

"Dunno, maybe. If they do, they haven't said anything to me about it," Mandy answered to Mickey's relief. "And even if they don't know you've been fucking someone, they at least know you're gay. We may be half wolf but we still got a wicked sense of smell. This isn't the first guy you've fucked, just the one you've been with the most."

"Oh, so you're outing me now? Not even gonna wait for me to say it?"

"Like you were ever gonna."

"Alright, douchebag, why don't you tell me what's goin' with you and that Jackson girl, huh? What are you doin' sniffin' around her and her human family at the lake for?"

Mandy opened her mouth to say something but no words would come out. She didn't have an explanation so she attempted to derail the conversation. "Since when do you have anything against humans?"

"Don't. Just think it'd be a little more difficult to explain the whole werewolf thing," Mickey clarified. "Unless… she already knows?" Mandy refused to look at Mickey and remained tight lipped. "She _knows_?!"

"We haven't done anything!"

"Yeah, but you definitely wanna if you told her everything."

"You're one to talk. What have you been telling this guy you've been seeing?"

"Nothing," Mickey replied.

"Oh, bullshit, Mickey! You've never fucked around with anyone this long before, and you wouldn't be unless you actually liked him," Mandy countered, which was true. Several weeks had gone by and Mickey would sneak off at night whenever he could and either returned late or didn't come home at all. He was absolutely enamored with Ian, even if he hadn't said it yet. "Wait a minute," she said as she realized something. "Is this why you're always stealing Karen and her family's food? Because you knew we were hanging out?"

"Hey, boy, girl, I don't give a shit. If someone's tryin' to get with my little sister I gotta see if they're worthy first."

"By stealing their food? Mickey, what the fuck! Karen is totally gonna hate me when she finds out it was you!"

"Don't see why she would. _I'm_ the one stealing her mom's barbecued ribs and her dad's beer."

"I can't fucking believe you right now," Mandy sighed as massaged her temples. She remembered this wasn't even supposed to be about her, and tried to steer the conversation to it's original course. "Gonna tell me who it is?"

"Who?" Mickey asked, feigning ignorance. He chuckled at Mandy's glare before he answered. "You don't know him. He lives in the city."

"Oh, a _city_ wolf, huh?"

"Fuck off." This is why Mickey never told any of his sibling anything about anything. He wasn't afraid of them like he was of Terry. No, Mickey just knew they'd take the piss out of him with every embarrassing little detail they learned of him. After all, that's what siblings did.

A few moments of content silence passed between the siblings before Mandy asked suddenly, "Does it hurt?"

"What, anal sex?"

"Oh, my god!" Mandy exclaimed, shoving her brother's shoulder. "No! No, I mean… getting branded."

There it was. Mickey knew Mandy didn't come to his room just to give him shit about Ian. "Mandy, I'm not gonna let that happen to you."

"How?" Mandy asked.

"I don't know, but I'll figure it out."

Mandy was certain Mickey meant that, but she had already come up with a plan herself. "I've been thinking…" Mandy started slowly. "We're werewolves, Mick. We might not be purebreds but we're still stronger than the strongest human in the world. There's four of us, and only one of Terry."

"Mandy, hold up-"

"No, this could work. You know it would."

"You're talking about _killing_ him."

"What other solution is there?" Mandy demanded. "Mickey, I don't want to get branded. I don't want Terry beating up on Iggy for not being strong like you, or beating Colin for not being able to turn without a full moon. And I don't want to see you withering away from all those fights until there's nothing left like mom did."

Mickey swiped his bottom lip with his thumb apprehensively. "No, alright… just, no. We'll think of something else. _I'll_ think of something else." When Mandy didn't respond Mickey asked, "Hey, you trust me?"

"Yeah, of course I do."

"Alright, then let me deal with it."

* * *

"Where are your parents at?" Mickey asked as he and Ian walked alongside each other to the lake. It was quickly becoming one of their favorite spots, second to the oak tree.

Ian almost stopped in his tracks. It wasn't like Mickey to ask personal questions of him, but he was happy Mickey was taking an interest. "Monica left after Liam was born. Just took off, haven't seen her since. Frank… I guess sort of just faded away. Sometimes he'd be gone for months at a time. Debbie used to get pretty upset about it, until he broke her heart too many times she eventually stopped giving a shit about him like the rest of us. He's been gone for like two years now. If he's still alive it'd be a fucking miracle, or a curse, not really sure which."

Mickey took in the information with a nod. "What about your grandparents?"

"Grammy Gallagher's in prison for having a meth lab that blew up and killed two college kids in the process," Ian deadpanned.

"Jesus," Mickey swore under his breath. "Grammy Gallagher goes hard, huh?"

Ian laughed happily beside Mickey. "Why are you asking me all this? Not that I actually mind, though."

Mickey shrugged. "Just thinkin'."

"About?" Ian asked, to which Mickey only shrugged again. "Now how's that fair? I answered your questions but you won't answer mine?"

"I gotta sort some stuff out." Mickey wanted to tell Ian he was trying to come up with a way to get Terry out of their lives for good without killing him. He even wanted to ask for help. But more than that, Mickey wanted Ian to be safe; and he couldn't make sure of that if Ian got involved in whatever plan Mickey came up with. "I'll tell you when it's sorted."

Ian frowned. He didn't like the cryptic answer Mickey gave him but he decided not to push further. "Ok."

Upon arriving at the lake Ian was about to remove his shirt but stopped when Mickey took off his own. He stared unabashedly as Mickey stripped in front of him. And admittedly Mickey was kind of putting a show on for Ian. He liked the way Ian looked at him. Like he was perfect, regardless of the fact he had so many scars from the fights, both physical and emotional.

"Have I ever told how beautiful you are?" Ian murmured.

Mickey glanced at Ian and then turned his eyes to the lake. Knowing how Ian felt for him and actually hearing it were two different things. He tried to ignore the growing fire in his chest with a lighthearted remark. "You gonna take your fucking clothes off or just keep staring?"

"I think I'm just gonna keep staring."

Mickey rolled his eyes but smiled regardless. "Fine, whatever. Stay here, I'm takin' a swim." Mickey approached the dock and turned into his wolf to run and jump off it. When he resurfaced he was back in his human form.

"Show off," Ian mumbled. He followed suit, removing his clothes and shifting, to join Mickey in the lake.

When Ian didn't come up for air Mickey looked around himself with worry. "Ian?" Before his concerned turned to panic he was dragged under the water. As soon as Mickey was submerged Ian released him and came up the surface of the water laughing. "You fucking asshole!" Mickey hollered when he resurfaced again and retaliated by dunking Ian's head into the water. They remained in the water for several minutes wrestling until all the contact made their skin feel hot despite the cool of the lake.

They floated in the water only centimeters away from each other. Ian leaned in for a kiss but only met Mickey half way and waited for the other boy to close the rest of the distance. Mickey did, and hummed contently against Ian's lips as Ian slipped his arms around Mickey's waist. To Mickey's surprise Ian broke the kiss abruptly and started swimming back to the shore.

Mickey followed and as soon as he reached the grass Ian captured his lips again. Ian rolled on top of Mickey and ground his hips against Mickey, who let out a hushed moan. Ian trailed his lips along Mickey's jawline to the back of his ear like he always did when he was on top. He then kissed down Mickey's neck and chest but stopped to suck on his nipples momentarily. Mickey reached both hands into Ian's wet hair and tugged on it lightly. Ian smirked but did as was signaled and settled between Mickey's legs to take him into his mouth. Keeping his hands on Ian's head to steady him Mickey arched his back in pleasure. Before long his breathing became strained and Ian pulled off him before Mickey came.

"I want you to fuck me."

It was barely a whisper that Mickey hardly heard what Ian had said. "What? Isn't that where this always goes?"

"No, I mean… I want you to-. I want you inside me."

Mickey stared wide eyed at Ian. "You can't say shit like that to me."

"Why not?" Ian asked, a deadly smirk playing on his lips. He snaked up Mickey's torso to whisper hotly into his ear. "Does it turn you on? Knowing I want you to fill me up with your cock?"

Mickey hissed as Ian gripped his dick pleasurably. "Fuck… You know you can't just take a dick because you want to right? Like, that takes practice."

"You outta know."

"Keep it up, jackass. See where tha-" Mickey's words were curt off when Ian began jerking him off.

"Who says I haven't been practicing?" Ian asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You've been getting off without me, Gallagher?"

"Only to be ready for right now. I think about you when I do it."

"Jesus," Mickey huffed. Without further delay Ian took two of Mickey's fingers into his mouth and sucked ardently. When his fingers were appropriately coated Mickey removed them from Ian's mouth and reached behind him. His fingers circled around Ian's asshole before gradually slipping one in. Ian moaned without indignity as he eagerly pushed against Mickey's finger. Still, Mickey took his time to stretch Ian out. When he finally did add a second finger Ian bit down on his bottom lip.

"Mickey… please," Ian whined.

"Hold up. Fuck, I thought I was the impatient one." When he felt Ian was loose enough he removed his fingers. Ian got up off of Mickey, who was about to start throwing his fists. "Where the fuck are you going?!"

Ian dug around in his discarded clothes for the lube that he brought. He tossed it at Mickey's chest when he returned. "See? I came prepared."

Mickey rolled his eyes and uncapped the bottle to slick himself up as Ian settled on top of him once again. He threw the bottle of lube off somewhere and lined himself up with Ian's ass. Ian braced his hands on Mickey's chest and lowered himself onto Mickey's dick. As he sank down they both released a sigh neither knew they were holding back. "You good?" Mickey croaked when Ian had yet to move. Ian could only manage a nod in response.

After another few moments he bent down to kiss Mickey fervidly and steadily began lifting and lowering his thighs. Mickey couldn't put much into the kiss, distracted by Ian riding him. He gripped Ian's hips firmly as Ian began to increase his pace.

At last Ian broke their clumsy kissing to sit up and watch all the ways Mickey came undone beneath him. He had been on top of Mickey many times before but never like this, and it was truly a sight to behold. Likewise, Mickey couldn't look away from Ian even if he wanted to. The way his brows furrowed in concentration, the way he kept biting his lips to keep from moaning too loudly, the way his wet slicked muscles caught the moonlight. Mickey could hardly bare it. He couldn't keep himself from thrusting up into Ian and that must have been well received because Ian yelped in surprise and started riding Mickey faster and harder. Ian began babbling incoherently, and the more he went on the more Mickey tried to elicit such sweet sounds from him.

"Mickey… I, _fuck_. I lo-"

Ian's words were abruptly cut off by Mickey surging forward to crash his lips to Ian's and flipped their positions. "I know," Mickey whispered when he pulled off Ian's mouth. "I know." He knew how Ian felt, how he himself felt, and he was fine with that. Hearing it out loud though was something he wasn't ready for, nor was he ready to return Ian's unspoken confession. Instead he tried to convey his feelings in the best way he knew possible at the moment. He thrusted in and out of Ian, locating that spot that would drive him over the edge. When Ian gave another yelp he knew he found it and focused on hitting Ian's prostate over and over again.

"I'm gonna come, Mickey," Ian warned as his legs hugged Mickey's waist tighter. Mickey wrapped a hand around Ian's dick and began pumping him in time with his thrusts. Soon, Ian was spilling into Mickey's hand as he threw his head back, moaning through his orgasm. Mickey thrusted into Ian a few times more and quickly reached his own release. He stilled briefly before gingerly pulling out of Ian.

"Holy fuck," Mickey proclaimed, wiping the back of his hand over his sweaty brow and collapsing next to Ian.

"Yeah," Ian sighed in agreement. "You good to stay out? Don't wanna go home tonight." As it turned out, Mandy wasn't the only one who figured out her brother was messing around. Although, Lip was a lot less teasing and more full on pissed off. Lip couldn't understand why Ian didn't confide in him, or why Fiona didn't confront Ian; and it wasn't like Ian was doing that great a job at keeping Mickey a secret. Ian would always stay out late and sometimes he wouldn't come home until the next morning, so Lip finally had enough of Ian's radio silence and started arguing with him on one of the evenings Ian actually came home. It got loud rather quickly and Fiona and the rest of their siblings woke up to find Ian and Lip moments away from turning into their wolves right there in the Gallagher kitchen. Since the heated argument the brothers had yet to make up.

"Sure. You alright?"

"Lip's just being an asshole as per fucking usual. What about tomorrow night?"

"Can't," Mickey answered simply.

"Are you going back to the fights?"

"Nope."

"Is this because of what I said… or almost said?"

"Nah, man. It's not that." Mickey still didn't elaborate so Ian remained unconvinced. Mickey clicked his tongue. "It's not," he repeated. "Told you, I gotta sort some stuff out."

Ian sighed and didn't press further. He wasn't sure what to make of Mickey's enigmatic mood tonight. Ian curled up next to Mickey, desperate to feel him against his skin again. He was absolutely enamored with Mickey. "We should wash off before we head to the oak tree."

Mickey ran his fingers through Ian's fiery red hair affectionately. "Ok."


	4. Family

**Chapter 4: Family**

* * *

Notes: Sorry this update took a while, but it's here now. :)

* * *

The following night Mickey took off into the woods, deeper than he had been in a long time. He even had to mark his trail by scratching the trees with his paws so he wouldn't get lost. He felt like he was Balto, or something. Fuck, he even had the half-wolf part down. And didn't that husky Balto had a thing for have red fur? Mickey growled low at nothing in particular. Even as a werewolf somehow his life had become a fucking animated movie. Except he wasn't on a mission to deliver medicine to kids suffering from diphtheria. And Mickey would have gladly traded his current task for the former.

Finally Mickey came upon a small dirt trail. He tried to remember if this was the same one his mother brought him and his siblings to a few times in their childhood in an attempt to get to know their grandfather. The trail he was looking for led to a cliff with a steady stream flowing beside it. Mickey raised his head into the air, listening for running water. Sure enough he heard it and sniffed the air to be certain. He followed his senses and found the cliff he had been searching for.

It was quiet there, except for the stream. Back in the woods Mickey could hear all sorts of creatures. Owls mostly, noisy fuckers. Mickey even had to avoid a few bears on his path. There at the cliff, though, it was calm. And the night sky was so cloudless Mickey could see the stars and moon clearer than he did just a few miles back at home. _Ian would love it here_ , Mickey thought.

At last Mickey decided to do what he came here for. He walked up towards the edge of the cliff and threw his head back, howling as loud as he could. After the first howl Mickey caught the noises of smaller animals scurrying to safety. He howled again. He howled for several minutes, until he saw glowing eyes appear in the trees below. Mickey cautiously made his way to the small meadow in front of the trees and bowed his head.

The growls started faint but grew louder and louder as a pack of wolves emerged from the shadows. Mickey took a careful step backwards and bowed his head again, assuring the wolves he didn't come here looking for trouble. The wolves hardly registered the gesture and continued to advance towards Mickey, and their growls turned into fiercely snapping jaws. They only seemed to relax when a man stepped out in front of them. He raised an open hand and the wolves immediately became silent.

The man was fully clothed but his jeans were tattered and his shirt was stained with dirt and grass. His face was wizened and stern but he looked at Mickey almost with familiarity. There was something like curiosity as well. Something about Mickey's scent made the man seem to recognize Mickey but he couldn't quite place it. Eventually the man spoke. "Who are you? Why have you come here, half-wolf? Show me your human face."

Mickey hesitated for a moment but did as he was told. When he changed into his human form he still kept low to the ground, crouched down on one knee.

The man frowned deeply at Mickey. The range of expressions that played out on his face almost made Mickey laugh.

"Mykhailo?"

"Hiya, Gramps," Mickey greeted with a slight smirk.

"What are you doing here? You know you are not allowed here."

"I need your help."

Mickey's grandfather snorted. "Why should I help you?"

"Because I'm still Natalia's son." Hearing his daughter's name again made Mickey's grandfather blanch. "And even though she's dead, she was still your daughter. Or did you forget that after you exiled her?" His grandfather contorted his face in offense and turned to leave. "Viktor… _please_."

Viktor paused in place and released a long sigh. He gazed at the moon for guidance. "Come then," he said at length. "Come inside. And put some fucking clothes on."

He led Mickey to a camp with cabins. These looked different than the ones he and Ian were familiar with though. They looked more homelike, more permanent. There were other werewolves there too. Some were in there wolf forms, others in there human forms. This was probably Viktor's pack, his family - Mickey's family. The one Mickey never had the chance to know because of some ridiculous rule. And to think, they'd been here all along and didn't care what he and his siblings had been going through their whole lives.

"You all live here?" Mickey asked once they were inside what he assumed to be Viktor's home. "In the middle of the fuckin' woods?"

"You would have too," Viktor answered. "If your mother hadn't chose to marry a human."

Mickey rolled his eyes, but gave no response. A girl about Mickey's age entered the living room and handed him a pair of pants. Her eyes roamed over his body and Mickey instantly felt his stomach churn.

"Don't bother," Viktor said. "Can't you smell him?"

The girl leaned in on Mickey and sniffed. Her face twisted in disappointment and she stomped off muttering to herself in a different language.

"Yeah, I can't understand Ukrainian but I can still understand emotions so fuck you too, sweetheart," Mickey answered back. Could everyone smell Ian's scent on him _that_ much?

Despite himself Viktor smirked. "You reek of him," he said as if he read Mickey's mind. "But at least he's full wolf."

Mickey rolled his eyes again and promptly put on the jeans he was given. He followed Viktor into a small dining room and sat opposite his grandfather at the table in the center.

"Terry doesn't know, does he?"

"Like I need to give him more of a reason to beat the shit out of me."

Viktor's eyes landed on the brand Mickey had, then on the scars scattered on his body. "He makes you fight?"

Mickey nodded. "He made mom fight too."

Viktor swiped a thumb over his lower lip apprehensively. It was a gesture Mickey had performed himself countless times before. "I tried to get her to leave him. I knew I could not trust him the moment I saw him, fucking human. But your mother-"

"It's got nothing to do with him being human," Mickey cut off. "He's just an evil prick."

"Why did you come here, Mykhailo?" Viktor asked, hoping to avoid an argument he already had too many times in the past with his daughter.

"It's Mickey. And I told you, I need help."

"With what?"

"What do you think?!" Mickey shouted.

Viktor sighed again but did not respond. He didn't know how. Here sat one of his grandchildren, desperate for assistance and guidance. So desperate he even risked is own safety in coming here. Though, it seemed he wasn't safe at all judging by all the wounds he had. Viktor suddenly felt guilty and wondered about his other grandchildren as well.

"Mandy turns eighteen soon, and when she does she'll get branded just like I did. Just like Iggy and Colin did. You remember them? Us? You're fuckin' grandkids?"

"What do you expect me to do?"

"Get rid of him, once and for all. If me or Mandy or my brothers tried to do anything, he'd skin us alive."

Viktor massages the crinkling in his eyebrows, attempting to stave off his growing headache. "Mykhailo…"

" _Mickey_."

"You want me to kill him?"

"What? No, why is this family so fuckin' murderous?" Mickey grumbled. "Just make him leave, make him stay away."

Viktor swore in Ukrainian before continuing. "This will not be easy."

"What, us running out one human out of town?" Mickey scoffed.

"No, changing our way of life after all these years," Viktor replied. "Combining our families."

"Why the hell would we do that?" Mickey wondered. "I ain't asking for us to become one big fuckin' happy family. Just need you to help us get rid of Terry and then we're square. I won't bother you for anything again."

"You can't ask me to become involved your life, and then not let me become involved in your life, _Mickey_."

"Fuck!" Mickey cursed loudly. "If I had known how fucking difficult you'd be I never would have bothered even coming here!"

"I am not being difficult, you are just being stubborn!" Viktor bellowed.

Viktor and Mickey glared at each other across the table. They remained there for several moments, boring holes into the other's eyes before Viktor was hit with a sudden case of deja vu. He slouched down in his seat and a smile began to slowly bloom onto his face before he broke out into a wild laughter that freaked Mickey the fuck out.

"Are you fucking nuts, old man?" Mickey hollered.

Wiping a tear from the corner of his eye, Viktor gradually regained his composure. He steadily released a sigh. "You remind me so much of your mother." The remark caught Mickey off guard and he tried to remain as stoic as possible. "I bet Mandy looks a lot like her, doesn't she?"

"I guess," Mickey answered softly, shrugging his shoulders. Mandy did indeed look so much like their mother.

A brief silence settled over them before Viktor spoke again. "We will help you."

"We?" Mickey asked carefully. "As in-"

"The whole pack."

Mickey sighed vexedly and now he was the one massaging his eyebrows. "Awesome. Can't fucking wait…"

Viktor chuckled heartily and patted his grandson's shoulder. "I'm going to need some time to convince the others."

"How much time? Mandy turns eighteen in less than a month."

"Should be enough. I'll get them ready."

"Just like that?"

"Yes, just like that," Viktor answered. "We are family, something I had forgotten."

After their discussion, Viktor led his grandson back to the meadow. He knew his pack wouldn't harm Mickey for fear of the consequences of going against their leader but Viktor still wasn't going to chance it. He exchanged a look of farewell with Mickey before Mickey tossed off the jeans he'd been given and turned into his wolf form. With another look, one Mickey tried to convey his thanks to his grandfather, he took off and started on his journey back home.

* * *

"Fancy seeing you here," Lip said to his brother, coming down the stairs into the dimly lit kitchen. It was past midnight and Ian couldn't sleep. He sat slouched in a seat at the small table. The air was hot and humid on this particular summer night. Lip retrieved two bottles of water from the refrigerator, instead of two beers, and sat next to his brother at the table. "Would've thought you were out with your boyfriend, or whatever."

"He's not-" Ian didn't finish his sentence.

"He's not?" Lip questioned.

 _As if you care_ , Ian thought. He shrugged. "I don't know. We haven't really talked about that stuff."

"Is that why you're moping down here in the middle of the night?"

"I'm not moping," Ian said, taking the water bottle Lip set down in front of him despite himself. "I'm just thinking."

"Always a dangerous sign."

"Fuck off, Lip."

"Jesus, look, I'm trying alright?"

"Trying to piss me off? Because that's all you're doing right now."

"When did you get so fucking defensive, Ian?" Lip asked, taking a gulp of water before he continued. "Swear to god, you were never like this until you met this guy you've been fucking around with."

"Shows what you know," Ian retorted.

"No thanks to you," Lip replied. He was starting to get mad again but effectively calmed himself down enough to go on. He couldn't very well expect Ian to finally open up to him if he didn't give Ian the chance. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"About what?"

"Everything. You seeing someone. You being gay. Shit, you never even told me about that kid Billy, or Bobby, taking your fucking Oreos in the third grade until he ended up with a black eye and you were in the principal's office."

"His name was Blake."

"Whatever the fuck," Lip said harshly. "I would've handled it if you just _told_ me."

Ian remained silent and only shrugged again in response.

"Ian, c'mon," Lip pleaded desperately. "You're my brother, my family, and I just realized I hardly know you." Ian met Lip's eyes suddenly. "And maybe that's my fault. Maybe I was always just too wrapped up in my own shit. I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault, Lip," Ian murmured.

"Whatever, doesn't matter whose fault it is. Just don't keep me or Fiona in the dark anymore. If you need something, we'll help you."

Ian grinned crookedly at his brother. "Thanks, Lip."

"So who is this guy anyway?" Lip asked, attempting to steer the conversation towards a lighter subject. "Can't be anyone I know, I would've recognized his scent. But I can tell he's only half wolf."

"He's, um…" Ian wasn't sure how to describe Mickey.

"How about you start with his name," Lip supplied.

"Mickey," Ian said, his grin turning into a full blown ear to ear smile.

"Ugh, you're face is so gross right now."

"Shut up," Ian answered back. He thought carefully for a moment before he continued. "He was that black wolf we saw at the fights."

"Are you kidding me right now?" Lip asked in disbelief. "Only you, Ian, would date a guy who participates in werewolf fights."

"You're the one who took me there."

"Doesn't mean I'd ever actually be in one."

"Whatever," Ian sighed. "It's not like he's got a choice. He doesn't. His piece of shit dad makes him fight. Even branded him and his brothers. That's why I've been down here so long. I wanna help him but I don't know how, and I don't know if he'll let me."

"Sucks when the people you care about won't let you get close to them, doesn't it?" Lip snarked. When Ian fixed him with a pointed look he held his hands up in mock surrender. "Alright, alright, calm down. I'm on your side, remember?" Ian grumbled a curse at his brother but let him continue. "Maybe we can come up with something before the next full moon. Carry out whatever plan we come up with next time we're at the cabins, or something."

"Really?" Ian asked in astonishment.

"Told ya, we're family."


End file.
